Today's communication networks provide transport of voice, video and data to both residential and commercial customers using a variety of transmission mediums. Examples of these transmission mediums include coaxial cable, telephone cable (e.g., twisted pair) and fiber optic cable. In fiber optic networks, information is transmitted from one location to another by sending pulses of light through the fiber optic cables. Fiber optic transmission provides several advantages over other electrical transmission techniques, such as increased bandwidth and lower losses.
Delivery of internet service to a customer's building requires termination (e.g., splicing, connecting, etc.) of the customer-side cabling with the service-provider network cabling. Internet service providers typically use enclosures to securely store the terminations of the cabling and the associated hardware. These enclosures provide a dedicated space that protects the cabling and the hardware. Exemplary equipment that is commonly stored in these enclosures includes cabling (e.g., coaxial cable, twisted pair, fiber optic, etc.), standardized connectors (CAT 5, RJ45, SC, LC, etc.), mounting brackets, cassettes, etc. When servicing is required, the interior volume of these enclosures must be accessed so that an installer can make repairs or modifications to this equipment.
Installers encounter a variety of different settings to effectuate internet service provider terminations. Different enclosure designs are used by installers, depending on the configuration of the building and/or space that is available for the placement of the enclosure. For example, in some cases, an enclosure that is designed to be placed within the walls (e.g., between the studs) of a customer building is used. In other cases, an enclosure that is designed to be placed outside of the walls of a customer building is used. These different enclosure designs detrimentally impact cost and installation time for network installers.